Welcome to the Family
by FoREVer Nightwing
Summary: Inspired by "Welcome to the Family" by Avenged Sevenfold. Contains spoilers for All-Star Batman and Robin.


**A/N: I lied. This is my last Avenged Sevenfold songfic. This one was inspired by _Welcome to the Family_.**

**Damn... why is it that so many of Avenged Sevenfold's songs fit the Bat Family so well?**

**Oh, one other thing... this has a few spoilers for _All-Star Batman and Robin. _**

**Lyrics have been removed from this version. To see the full version, see my Quotev account.**

* * *

**Welcome to the Family**

Freaking out was an understatement.

In his case, he was hysterical.

And none of what was currently happening was helping at all.

He was supposed to be at the circus, doing his act.

But that changed the second his parents were shot through their brains.

_Oh God, they died right there… their brains splashed on my feet…_

As if that weren't bad enough, he was taken by the police.

He learned that it wasn't a good thing, either.

So, now, he's in the Batmobile, with some crazy man dressed as a Bat and using a bad Clint Eastwood voice.

This guy- Batman- he beat up cops.

Something his parents told him not to do. Ever.

But that's when Batman told the boy that Gotham cops were bad… that they couldn't be trusted.

The guy had tried putting him to sleep with some kind of gas.

It didn't work… but it did make him a little dizzy.

But, even in his state, he still thought about what would happen.

_What's he gonna do? Rape me? Kill me?_

Then the car started to talk.

In a British accent.

Was he imagining it?

No, he couldn't have been… Batman was talking to the car, too.

Okay, so, he was stuck with some crazy (possibly homicidal) man dressed as a bat.

He was drugged.

And he was in a strange car that talked.

_Things couldn't possibly get weirder, could they?_

Of course, things get weirder.

Batman drives straight towards a lake.

So, he starts to panic.

But, before he even has a chance to say anything, the Batmobile changes into a submarine.

As if that weren't weird enough, the lake led to a cave.

Not just any cave, either.

It was full of a bunch of what he'd normally think was awesome shit (at this point, he's hoping, _praying_, that this is just some screwed up dream), from a giant penny to a really cool looking dinosaur.

But one thing was really out of place in the cave.

There was music playing in the background.

Bach, of all things.

He'd know. His mother used to play it all the time.

_Oh God, they're dead… the blood everywhere… no, don't go there… not now._

"What do you think, kid? Pretty cool, right?" Batman said. He dropped the stupid Clint Eastwood voice.

He didn't say anything.

"Well?"

"I guess it's cool…" he said.

Batman muttered something that sounded a lot like "snot-nosed brat" and got out of the car.

"Why the hell am I here?" he finally asked as he flipped gracefully out of the car, "What do you want with me?"

"I've had my eye on you, Richard." He said.

"And how the hell do you know my name?"

"As I said, boy, I've been watching you. You've been at the top of your class in every school you've been to. And you're a natural acrobat. I had planned on talking with your parents… do this another way… but it looks like that won't happen."

He wasn't sure where Batman was going with this… and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

"I want to recruit you in my war against crime."

He wasn't sure how he should react to this.

First, this guy was a hero? What the hell? After all, he just kidnapped a kid! How can this guy be a hero?

And second… why would he want a kid tagging along?

Instead of asking, though, he all but yelled, "Are you freaking insane?"

Batman didn't say anything.

"And you consider yourself a fucking hero? You just kidnapped a kid!" he continued, "And why do you want me to do this?"

"You'll find out later. I've got to go." Batman said.

"What? You can't just leave me here!" he yelled.

Batman didn't listen.

* * *

_So he wants me to fight crime like him? Fine. I will._

It had been a few hours since he arrived… or, that's what he thought. He wasn't sure.

He asked the butler- who, he figured, was the same guy on the radio in the car- for tights, a cape with a hood, and a mask.

He took a weapon- a bow and a couple arrows- and started working on his costume.

* * *

When Batman returned to the cave, he was ready.

He took careful aim, then shot the arrow.

Batman caught it without even looking at it.

"Nice shot, kid." He said.

He jumped down onto the Batmobile.

"Stop calling me kid." He said, "It's Hood."

"A hood can be used against you." Batman said, "If you're not careful, it can become a blindfold."

He roughly tugged the hood over the boy's eyes.

"Hey!" he yelled.

"And get a better mask." Batman said, "You're Robin."

* * *

The kid was a little nervous.

After all, he was no longer doing this for show… he could get killed.

But it wasn't all that bad.

He did learn that Batman wasn't as heartless as he seemed to be. Heartless, yes, but not as bad as he thought.

Batman told him not to grieve. He said it would only hold him back.

So he didn't.

But that didn't mean he was all for this.

He missed his parents. He wanted this to be just a nightmare. He wanted to wake up and see his parents were alive.

He knew he wouldn't. This was all too real.

* * *

It wasn't until their meeting with Green Lantern that all that changed.

Green Lantern wanted to talk with Batman- just talk, no fighting.

Of course, that didn't stop him from being prepared.

He had Robin paint one of the safe houses yellow. Sure, he complained the entire time, but he did finish within three hours.

* * *

About halfway through the meeting, things went south.

But once again, Batman was prepared.

Robin swiped Green Lantern's power ring before he had the chance to use it.

It only got worse from there.

Robin shattered the emerald knight's collar bone.

Batman did fix the situation… but he also realized what he did.

* * *

Rain was thundering down when they left the safe house.

Batman carried Robin on his back- something the boy thought was suspicious.

He wasn't sure where they were going.

He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

They arrived at a cemetery.

The cemetery where _they_ were buried.

"Go." Batman said, "Find them."

He didn't need to ask what he meant.

He already knew.

The second he wound their graves, he broke down.

And, to his surprise, the Dark Knight allowed it.

He even pulled the boy into a hug… something he hasn't done in a long time.

_Maybe working with this guy won't be as bad as I thought…_

* * *

**A/N: I was really facinated by what Frank Miller did to the dynamic duo in _All-Star Batman and Robin. _It was pretty much the opposite of how Dick ended up being Robin, but it was still really cool. I liked the idea of Robin being an archer... kinda pisses me off that Bats said it wasn't good enough. Then again, we wouldn't get the Dick Grayson Robin we all know and love... and it'd just be Speedy in a different costume.**

**Plus, it's the broody, gothic Batman that we just can't get enough of. I mean, golden age Batman's cool and all, but I love the more modern dark Batman so much more. Why do you think I like Batman more than Superman?**

**Oh, look I'm rambling... sorry...**


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